Osceola voters to decide on nonpartisan elections for commissioners

Osceola County voters will have the opportunity to change how county commissioners are elected. A proposed charter amendment on the Nov. 6 ballot would make future commission races nonpartisan. Here's a guide to understanding the referendum.

How commissioners are elected now: Candidates run by party affiliation, although independent candidates can run as well. Primary elections determine the Democratic and Republican candidates for the general election.

How the amendment would change things: If the amendment passes, future commission candidates will not be identified by party affiliation. Primary elections for the commission, which are now limited to members of a given political party, will be open to all registered voters. Any candidate receiving more than 50 percent of the vote will be elected outright. But if no candidate has a majority, the top two candidates for each seat will compete in the general election.

The amendment would be the first change to the county's charter since it was adopted in 1992. Orange County already has nonpartisan commission elections. Seminole and Lake counties, however, have partisan races.

What backers say: Supporters of the amendment contend that nonpartisan elections would open the process to a wider group of voters, particularly the more than 43,000 Osceolans who are registered without a party affiliation. Independent voters would gain the right to participate in primary elections for commissioners.

What opponents say: Democratic Commissioners Brandon Arrington and Mike Harford have opposed the measure, saying it would likely lead to commission races being settled in the primaries, when turnout is lower. Arrington has noted that Hispanic primary turnout is extremely low, meaning that voting bloc could have little impact in choosing future commissioners.